Conductivity and structure of ErAs nanoparticles embedded in GaAs pn junctions analyzed via conductive atomic force microscopy

Abstract

We have used conductive atomic force microscopy to investigate the influence of growth temperature on local current flow in GaAs pn junctions with embedded ErAs nanoparticles grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Three sets of samples, one with 1 ML ErAs deposited at different growth temperatures and two grown at 530 °C and 575 °C with varying ErAs depositions, were characterized. Statistical analysis of local current images suggests that the structures grown at 575 °C have about 3 times thicker ErAs nanoparticles than structures grown at 530 °C, resulting in degradation of conductivity due to reduced ErAs coverage. These findings explain previous studies of macroscopic tunnel junctions.

Modern Micro and Nanoparticle-Based Imaging Techniques

“…The most important techniques are scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM, a technique that uses focused sound to investigate, measure, or image an object and can provide data about the cytoskeleton and movement of the cells in biological and medical applications) [126,127], X-ray microscopy (XM, which uses electromagnetic radiation in the soft X-ray area and is applicable on biological samples in natural state; [128,129], scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for imaging of surfaces at the atomic level [130–132], scanning probe microscopy (SPM, surface images under the use of physical probes) [133–136] and especially its type atomic force microscopy (AFM, an application used especially in biophysics in the monitoring of protein-ligand interactions) [133,137–139]. …”

Nanoscale surface conductivity analysis of plasma sputtered carbon thin films

“…18 The C-AFM is very promising technique to investigate structural characteristics and conductivity of materials. [19][20][21] Jiang et al reported the failure analysis on nanometer scale on integrated circuits using C-AFM. 22 In the semiconductor industry, the use of C-AFM is very helpful to explore the electrical and structural characteristics of ErAs nanoparticles incorporated in GaAs.…”

“…22 In the semiconductor industry, the use of C-AFM is very helpful to explore the electrical and structural characteristics of ErAs nanoparticles incorporated in GaAs. 19 Dai et al explored the structural imperfections and their effect on the conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes via C-AFM. 23 The high spatial resolution measurements, achieved by C-AFM, over other electrical characterizations, is the main reason for motivation and initiation of this research work.…”

Effects of nanoscale embedded Schottky barriers on carrier dynamics in ErAs:GaAs composite systems

“…The composite systems display tunable photo-carrier relaxation with ultrashort relaxation times spanning two orders of magnitude 3,6 , while achieving greater film quality 1,7-9 and transport characteristics than low temperature grown GaAs 1,10-16 . These features have made the ErAs:GaAs system highly promising for integration into GaAs-based opto-electronic devices 6,14,[17][18][19][20][21] . However, the fundamental relaxation phenomena of these systems must be fully characterized before such applications can be realized.…”